So, I was making my second big batch of breakfast burritos this month & I wanted to change up what dinner would be because we eat A LOT of green chile burritos around here. It was impromptu & turned out to be one of our favorites. I started with my tortilla dough & I made these...like a tortilla.

Traditionally, fry bread is mixed & flattened all with your hand. And honestly, after we made them I started searching the web & learning more. I also don't have milk or sugar in my dough. But you look around & do what you want. This is just my version! Navajo fry bread is tradition to the Navajo, and comes with a story of great hardship. Fry bread is common among many Southwestern Tribes, but it is the Navajo who developed this recipe. You've maybe seen it at fairs & many restaurants as Indian Tacos. It's the state bread of South Dakota & the "Indian Taco Festival" happens the first weekend of October in Oklahoma. How'd I MISS THAT! Of course, your remaining dough can be sopapillas for dessert! #WINWINWIN!

The Dough:

4 Cups All purpose Flour

4 Tablespoons Lard (crisco)

1.5 teaspoons Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

INstructions:

Mix the dry together with your hands & slowly add very hot water to the bowl as you mix. Add enough very hot water until it comes together. Dump onto a floured counter top & kneed a few times. Pinch off little golf balls & let them rest together for an hour under plastic wrap & a towel. I like to keep them moist & warm.

[This is my tortilla process so far, see my TORTILLA recipe for more pictures & step by steps.]

Now you're caught up. They're ready to cook! Like I said, I approached this like a tortilla so I also rolled it out. Just my version! Then, top it with whatever you have. This is a fun solution for left overs night!

If your dough rests long enough, it will be relaxed & not tense & bouncing back as you roll it out.

Fry in a shallow pan of vegetable oil

Drain on paper towels..

Stack & pose for a pic. Hello BEAUTIFUL!

Top it how you want it!

You can see the gorgeous edges! They are strong too. I love how they hold up with all of the toppings.

Oh wow. This was a quite good discovery! In college, my friend would bring home a breakfast bread, made by his mom & I've never forgotten the taste. And for real - I accidentally stumbled up on it, making it myself at home! I guess the flavor I absolutely love, is a yeast dough, scrambled eggs, cheese & bacon or sausage.

So here's what happened. I've been practicing breads & pizza all year & we usually have an extra ball dough that goes into the fridge. I've been intimidated by yeast until now & I'm hoooooooooked. I love the smell & my kids LOVE the smell of fresh bread or pizza when they come in on a Monday night after hours of dance & karate! Does that sound like cozy, warm, family, home, comfort or what!

Here is a quick little snapshot of my trip to DiSanti farms in Pueblo Colorado! I've never had my chiles hosed down at the end. They are virtually peeled & the flavor is still fantastic. These are Pueblo chiles. If you're a chile person, they may remind you more of a big jim than an anaheim. Spicy, thick skin & a little more yellow in color. Flavor - amazing.

Late August - mid September is the best time to stock up on roasted chiles! For several years, I went to a farm outside of Denver, but this year I ventured down to Pueblo, Colorado.

There's a few things I learned...

1. A Bushel should be close to 16 lbs of roasted chiles. I have for YEARS bought bushels with 9-11 lbs. This is when I learned that people with stands go to these farms, bring them back & sell a CITY bushel. A city bushel can be 9-11 lbs, $32+. DiSanti is top notch. They taught me that a bushel is a bushel. Its a volume measurement. I got 16 lbs out of each bushel, for $24. Hope you followed all of that! I'd rather go where they're growing them, meet the people, give them my love, a big tip & encourage them! $24 for 16 lbs from the farm where they've been harvested since 1861. YES!!!

2. Freeze in 3 lb bags instead of 1 lb bags. Why have I, all these years been freezing them in 1 lb bags & then defrosting 3 bags at once. HELLO. Not sure why that light bulb just flipped on, but it did! YAY!

Here's how to tackle it!

The roasted bushel goes into a big plastic bag for the ride home.

Use a large measuring bowl & a scale

The bowl will support the bag as you fill it

Divide out to your desired weight

Set aside to cool

Remove all air, seal the top & lay flat

Stack in your freezer til frozen.. rotate the next day to keep the cool air flowing

Now, as you go to prepare your meal. Set your chiles in the fridge the night before, or defrost in the sink under cold water. Cut off the stems & give them a gentle quick rinse. You'll rinse just to remove any blackened spots on the skin, but don't saturate in water & lose flavor!

My favorite way, in real life or out in the woods, is to cook all bacon before hand, reserve the bacon fat, cook pancakes on the same pan. My Gram made pancakes thin & crispy in bacon fat & that's how I do it! The kids ask for pancakes that are "crispy like grammies!"